FDA Takes Growing Interest In Winery Safety

A 2011 law has led to more Food & Drug Administration inspections of wineries, reports Wine Spectator. In a little-known program, the FDA performed 261 winery inspections nationwide in its 2010-2011 fiscal year, either directly or through state agencies, compared with 132 in 2009–10. While winery inspections are not new, they’re being ramped up under the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act, according to FDA spokeswoman Patricia El-Hinnawy.

The federal law mandates that the FDA inspect all food processing establishments. The frequency of inspections is based on safety risk and compliance history. While wineries are considered low risk because the fermentation process kills pathogens, all food facilities must be inspected within seven years and at least once every five years after that. “The FDA may be conducting more inspections [at wineries] than it has done in the recent past, in order to meet the (law’s) requirements,” El-Hinnawy said.

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